Amsterdam, Aug 1 (IANS) Incoming Netherlands captain Bas de Leede showered high praise on outgoing skipper Scott Edwards for his excellent leadership over the past four years, saying that he did a great job and expressed delight at the veteran wicketkeeper-batter continuing to serve the national team as a player.
Edwards stepped down as the captain of the Netherlands after a four-year tenure of 56 ODIs that began in June 2022, after Pieter Seelar retired from international cricket due to back issues. His tenure as captain concluded with the Utrecht leg of the CWC League 2 games on Friday.
Seam-bowling all-rounder de Leede will now take over the reins, starting with the remainder of the CWC League 2 cycle. Interestingly, de Leede’s cousin sister Babette de Leede is the current skipper of the Netherlands women’s cricket team, who played in their first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup in June.
“Scott has done a great job as our captain. He is a clear communicator and taught us to rely on our abilities. I am very happy that he will remain available as a player, because his performances over the past week during the World Cup qualifiers in Utrecht were phenomenal once again. On behalf of the players, I thank Scott for his excellent leadership over the past four years,” De Leede said in a statement by the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB).
Under the captaincy of Edwards, the Netherlands won 24 of their 56 ODIs. The crowning moments of his ODI captaincy came at the 2023 World Cup in India, where the Netherlands achieved historic victories over South Africa in Dharamsala and Bangladesh in Kolkata.
His tenure in T20Is, where he captained in 50 games, was equally memorable. Most notably, Edwards led the side to the Super 12 stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup, securing wins over Zimbabwe and a sensational upset over South Africa that knocked the Proteas out of the tournament.
“Being captain of the Dutch team was a great honour. But I feel that I can offer the team much more as a player. I am handing over the captain’s role with the utmost confidence to Bas de Leede, who can continue to count on me as a player for the national team,” said Edwards.
The Netherlands currently sit in second place on the CWC League 2 standings and trail leaders USA. With the top four sides at the conclusion of the tournament earning direct entry into the World Cup qualifiers, the Netherlands will look to seal their berth during their final leg of matches against Oman and the UAE later this year.
–IANS
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